Machine for attaching tags to fabrics



No. 607,ll9.

W. G. METCALF.

Patented July l2, I898,

(Apphcatlon filed July 31, 1897.)

- Patented, .luly l2, I898. W. G. MET CALF. MACHINE FDR ATTACHING TAGSTO FABRICS.

(Application filed July 31, 1897.) (N0 Model.) 3 Sheets8heei 2,

Patented July l2, I898.

y W. G. METCALF. MACHINE FUR ATTACHING TAGS T0 FABRICS.

(Application filed July 31, 1897.)

a sneaks-sheet 3.

(No Model.)

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Ilmrnn STAT S PATENT. Orrrcn.

\VILLIAM G. METOALF, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

MACHINE FOR ATTACHING TAGS TO FABRICS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 607' ,1 19, dated July 12, 1898. Application filed J ly 31, 1897. Serial No. 646,592. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. h IETOALF, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Machines for Attaching Tags to Fabrics, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in machines for attaching tags to fabrics, and is designed to fasten to any fabric by metal staples tags made of paper, cardboard, or any thin material.

It consists of a case carrying therein a spool or roll or ribbon of cardboard or any suitable material of which the tags are to be made, the same being fed between two jaws, where a portion of it is cut off toform a tag and at the same time fastened to the fabric by a metal staple forced through the tag'and the fabric and clenched, and is also provided with mech anism for printing or stamping a price-mark or the like on the tag while being attached, as will be more fully described in the following specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the ribbon of cardboard in place and ready to be cut and fastened to form a tag. Fig. 2 is an end or front view, partly in section, taken on the lines X X of Fig. 1, showing the plunger and staple in position before action. Fig. 3 is a side elevation in section, showing the position of the various parts aft-er a tag has been cut and the staple driven. Fig. a is a top sectional View of the staple carrier and feeder, taken on the line Y Y of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective View of the staplestraightener. Fig. 6 is a rear. elevation of the upper jaw or knife carrying plunger. Fig. 7 is a bottom elevation of the bifurcated portion of the hand-lever which actuates the is a bottom elevation of the upper jaw car rying the knife and type or stamps. Fig. 11 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the center. Fig. 12 is a perspective view of one of the bifurcations of the handlever shown in Fig. '7 to more clearly show the construction of the trip.

Like letters and numerals of reference indicate identical parts in all the figures.

A is a casing, preferably made of metal.

A A are feet integrally formed on the easing and preferably provided with screw-holes to permit of the fastening of the machine to a table or the like.

B is aroll or ribbon of cardboard which is to be cut to form the tags. This roll or ribbon of cardboard can either be placed on a spool, which spool is then placed on the pin a, or it need not be put on a spool, but simply placed in its rolled condition on the pin a, as it will be held and kept in its rolled condition and in place by the retaining-pins a a, which may be integrally formed on the easing or may be screwed thereto, as desired.

D is a hand-lever beveled or curve-shaped, as shown, and has a downward projection h, which projection comes in contact with the extension 6 on the staple-driver. By forming the hand-lever D in the peculiar shape shown a better contact and frictional point is obtained, though ofcourse it may be formed in any suitable manner. The inner end of the hand-lever is bifurcated, as shown in Fig. 7. 'Pivotally attached to the bifurcation or side eXtensionG by the pin h is a pawl 11, which curves slightly forward at its lower end and is formed with-a point or hook h. This hook it" on the pawl H engageswith the teeth on the star-wheel t', Fig. 8, and shown in dotted lines, Figs. 1 and 8. This star-wheeliis integrally formed on the feed-roller I. The feed-roller I is provided with small teeth '5, which I have shown in the drawings as formed on the entire periphery of the feed-roller, though of course a fewer number could be used.

At points on the feed-roller I corresponding with the points on the star-wheel '6 are cut notches at each side of the roller, as seen in Figs. 1 and 3, the notches on the opposite side being shown in dotted lines. The two sets of notches slope or point in opposite directions, as the points of both the pawl J and the stud m are to have oppositely-extending bearing-surfaces and lock the feed-roller I and prevent its revolving in either direction. The purpose of one set of these notches i on the feed-roller I is to receive the stud or pin m, which is inserted in the casing and held outwardly and in the notch by spring-pressure. The notches i in the feed-roller I on the same side as the star-wheel i, Fig. 8, and shown in dotted lines, Figs. 1 and 3, receive the point or end of the long arm of the forked pawl J.

Pivoted to the casing A near the roll or ribbon of cardboard is a spring-actuated forked pawl J, which is held in a notch in the feedroller by the small spring j, and thus prevents the overrunning of the feed-roller in a forward movement, permitting the roller to revolve j ust far enough to feed sufficient cardboard to correspond with the space between the shield K on the front of the casing A and the upward extension or wall of the lower jaw L, which wall is provided with a slit or opening Z, which is of sufficient width to permit the passage of the ribbon of cardboard.

Below the feed-roller and sunk in the easing is a small pin or stud m, formed to enter the notches in the feed-roller. This stud or pin m is kept in the notch in the feed-roller by a spring, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The purpose of this stud m is to prevent and hold the feed-roller from revolving in a backward manner, which would be the case when the pawl II is moved downward by reason of its rubbing or frictional contact with the starwheel 2'. Above the feed-roller I is another feed or friction roller M, whose purpose is to keep the ribbon of cardboard which passes between this roller M and the feed-roller I in contact and pressed against the feed-roller I. I have shown this friction-roller M provided with a yoke m, which yoke fits over a pin n, which is fastened to the casing A. Encircling the yoke is a coiled spring a, one end of which is hooked over or fastened to a small pin on a screw or bolt 0, which screw 0 is fastened to the casing A. The tendency of this coiled spring at is to press the friction-roller,

M down against the feed-roller I. The surface of this friction-roller mayeither be metal or rubber or composition, though rubber or composition is preferable.

To permit the forward movement of the feed-roller I and to disengage the pawlJ from the notch in the feed-roller, the pawl II is provided with a small stud 0, which stud comes in contact with the upper and shorter arm of pawl J when the pawl II is depressed and moves the pawl J away from the feedroller and holds it away until the pawl II moves upward, when the feed-roller I will have been moved far enough to throw the notch thereon out of register with the lower or long arm of the pawl J, thus permittingit to feed the cardboard, as described.

The pawl 11 is held in its operative position against the star-wheel ibya coiled spring 1), one end being attached to the pawl and the other to the casing A, though of course a flat spring might also be used, as can readily be understood.

The other bifurcation or side extension 0 of the hand-lever Dis provided with a trip '2', which is held up in place by a spring .9, which is fastened on the under side of the extension or bifurcation O, which is cut out or grooved, as shown in Figs. 7 and 12 and in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3, to permit the insertion of the end of the trip 0', Where it is loosely mounted on the bolt 3 and yieldingly held in position by spring 5-, Figs. 12, 7, 1, and 3, which passes through the portion of the trip lying in this cut-out or grooved portion and the side walls of the extension 0. The upper side of the extension 0 not being cut away limits the upward movement of the trip 0''. \V hen the lever D is depressed, the trip 1 comes in contact with the upper sloping end of the knife-carrying plunger E, and the trip 4 held from any further upward movement by the upper side of the extension 0, the knife-carrying plunger E is pressed downward, when the trip 7- slides off the sloping edge of the plunger E, as shown in Fig. 3, by which time the upper or broader end of the staple-plunger F will have been depressed far enough to come in contact with the bevel S, as shown in Fig. 11, in the groove or slideway in the plunger E, which slideway corresponds with the shape of the staple-plunger F, as clearly seen in Fig. 11, and the extension 6 on the staple-d river F strikes the wall of the plunger E at the point marked 1 Figs. 1 and 3, at which point the groove becomes shallower, as shown in Fig. 11 and in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3. The plunger E is then moved downward the remainder of the distance by the staple-plunger F, which is depressed by the hand-lever D. The purpose of the trip 7' is to permit the plunger E to immediately return to its normal position upon the lifting of the hand-lever D, which in turn permits the staple-plunger F to rise. A coiled spring t, one end of which is fastened to a screw or pin '6' in the casing A and the other fastened to a pin 15" on the plunger E, holds the plunger E in the position shown in Fig. 1.

If the extension 0 on the hand-lever were made without the trip 7' and the extension made long enough to come in contact with the plunger E, the plunger could not return to its normal position until the hand-lever were raised sufficiently to take the extension 0 out of the path of the plunger-E, by which time the pawl II would have revolved the feedroller I, thus feeding the ribbon of cardboard, which passes through the slot Z in the wall L of the lower jaw, which slot Z would consequently be obstructed by the plunger E by reason of its slow upward movement. It is to obviate this difficulty that I provide this trip 7, which, after it has slid off of the plunger E when depressed, will be held down and out of the way of the plunger E by the plunger itself until it has reached its normal position, (shown in Fig. 1,)when the spring-actuated trip will by reason of its pivotal connection slide over the plunger E. This quick return of the plunger E thus permits the passage of the ribbon of cardboard through the slot Z. The plunger E is held in place by screws or bolts to, whose heads are of course larger than the slots to in the casing A, which slots correspond in length with the distance between the base of the plunger E and the lower jaw, Fig. 1, the distance the plunger is depressed. The base of the plunger E is provided with a cutting edge or knife z, which cuts off the portion of cardboard which has passed through the slot Z.

O is the staple-carrier,which is to be loaded or filled with wire staples and re nants; as shown in Fig. 4, with the slotways for the ends of the staples. These slotways are formed by the ridge or partition 5, extending up through the center of the staple carrier or chute C, but not being of the same width as the two side walls of the chute or carrier, as clearly shown by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 8. Over the top of this carrier or chute is placed a shield or plate 0, preferably made of thin sheet metal,with a slit running through its center to enable the operator of the machine to observe the quantity of staples loaded in the carrier, which shield extends up beyond the side walls, it being made of the same length as the partition Z), and at its uppermost point it is found desirable to slightly curve it outward or away from the partition I), as shown. The purpose of thus extending the partition Z) and shield or plate 0, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is to permit of the easy and rapid loading of the carrier with staples. This shield 0 assists to hold the staples in the carrier and prevents their falling out,as would be the case at least in jarring the machine or moving it about from place to place.

The staple-carrier is preferably arranged at an angle or incline, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The staples are placed in the carrier from the top, with the partition 1) between their ends, as shown in Fig. 4, and drop or slide down by gravity to the latch or oscillating retainer d, which is in the position show-n in Fig. 1, before the depression of the hand-lever D. This latch or sliding retainer d is link-shaped and is attached to the pivotallyconnected arm or plate e, which has a forwardly-proj ectin g extension,slotted, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, to fit over a lug e on the plunger E, by which the arm or plate a and the staple-retainer d are moved back and forth as the plunger E is moved up or down, the solid portion of the sliding retainer 01 of course being attached to this arm or plate 6, which arm or plate is pivoted to the staplecarrier 0. The opposite side of this linkshaped latch (Z passes through the center of the staple-carrier O, a slot being cut in the middle partition or ridge 1) of the carrier'for the passage of the latch. This link or retainer before the depression of the hand-lever D passes through the carrier from the under side for about two-thirds the length of the latch. This portion of the link is slit in a slanting manner sufficiently to permit the passage of one staple only, as seen at d, leaving a small raised lip projecting a little over the slit.

The staples are held in the upper side of the carrier by the partition I), as shown in dotted lines, Figs. 1 and 3. WVhen the latch or sliding retainer 61 is slid or pushed downward by the arm 6, the slit portion enters the staple-carrier O, as shown in Fig. 3, but does not permit a staple to drop, but simply shifts the staples from the rear portion of the latch, which has the small lip, onto the other. Then when the latch d is brought forward this small lip by reason of its slightly-raised condition, which is a little more than the thickness of a staple, passes between the lowest staple and those above it andpermits this one staple to drop through the slit d and by its gravity to fall to the end of the carrier, where it is held by a small spring-actuated stud or pin f, (shown in Fig. 11 and in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 3,) which stud is inserted in the center of the carrier 0 at its lower termination. The tendency of the spring on this stud f is to send or press it outward into a slot or staple-plunger slideway g in the plunger E, as shown in Figs. 2 and 11, the full depth of the slideway and bringing it into contact with the knife-carrying plunger E, thus making it impossible for the staple to pass or drop beyond this stud, the end of the stud f being pointed or beveled, as shown.

The knife -carrying plunger E is provided with a slot or slideway 9, Figs. 2, 6, and 11, the portion coming opposite the staple-carrier 0 being open, as shown in Fig. 6.

F is the staple-driver or plunger, which extends down through the slot in the knife-carrying plunger E. The staple-driver F at its lower end is shaped to conform to the depth of this slot or slideway g. The staple-driver F being depressed comes on top of the staple held by the stud f, and by reason of this stud being beveled as described the driver F presses the stud back into the carrier and forces the staple on down and clenches it when it reaches the lower jaw of the casing A. I have spoken of the staple driven as being clenched, while in the drawings I have shown two grooves 13 in the bed-plate or lower jaw which are shallower near the center of the plate, sloping from the center ridge or portion separating the two grooves, as shown in Fig. 2. When the staple is brought down and pressed or forced by the plunger F, the ends of the staple are wedged apart after having passed through the tag and fabric by the sloping grooves, thus fastening the same to the fabric. It will be readily understood, however, that these grooves could be made to slope toward each other, in which case the ends of the staple would be brought together.

IIO

The upper portion of the staple-driver is preferably formed as shown to produce a better contact-point with the hand-lever.

Near the upper end of the staple-driver it has an extension 6'. Inserted in the front part of the casing A is a coiled spring 9, which presses against the extension 6. on the staple-driver F and presses it upward and in contact with the hand-lever D and being of sufficient tension to immediately raise the plunger and lever when released by the operator.

To prevent the staple from being caught or dropping in an improper manner after being released by the retainer (Z, and thus prevent its beingin proper position on the pin f ready to be driven, I provide what may be termed a staple-straightener S, preferably made as shown in perspective in Fig. 5, consisting of a collar with two fingers on opposite ends thereof, but projecting in the same direction, one of which has two rearwardly-extending projections 3 and 4E. The fingers pass through slots in the staple-carrier O at its lower end and come in contact with the staple fed by the retainer cl and suspended on the stud. f, pressing its ends against the wall of the pl u nger E, thus preventing its being twisted in any way before it is driven. This staplestraightener S is secured to the casing a short distance in the rear of the end of the carrier 0 by the bolt or screw 0, the distance between the point of attachment and the wall of the plunger E corresponding with the length of the fingers.

On the pawl II is provided an arm T, extending forwardly, which arm '1 has a small lug 5, which comes between the projections 3 and t of the straightener S and throws it into or out of the slots in the carrier 0 as the pawl II is operated.

To enable the marking or stamping of a price-mark on the tag as it is attached to the goods and to be done simultaneously, I have shown in Figs. 9 and 10 revolving rolls or cylinders E of type, which may be placed in the base of the plunger E and so arranged as to bring the surface of the type slightly below the surface of the plunger E, thus bringing it in contact with the tag then formed.

As shown in the drawings and as I have described it, the type would simply make an impression in the tag and stamp the desired figures or letters on the surface of the tag; but it will be readily understood that means may be provided for inking these rolls or cylinders of type and thus printing them on the tags, though the mere impression made in the tags will ordinarily be found sufiicient.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for attaching tags, feedrollers arranged to feed a prearranged supply of cardboard, a staple-carrier arranged to feed the staples and a plunger or driver, in combination with a knife-carrying plunger provided with a slot or slideway for the staple and staple-driver, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a machine for attaching tags, feedrollers arranged to feed a prearranged supply of cardboard, a staple-carrier provided with an oscillating retainer to feed one staple at a time, and a staple-driver in combination with a knife-carrying plunger provided with a slot or slideway for the staple and staple-driver, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In a machine for attaching tags, feedrollers arranged to feed a prearranged supply of cardboard, a staple-carrier provided with an oscillating retainer to feed one staple at a time, a staple-driver and a staple-straightener to prevent the staple being displaced by its descent from the sliding retainer, in combination with a knife-carrying plunger pro vided with a slideway for the staple and staple-driver, substantially as and for the purpose described.

et. In a machine for attaching tags, feedrollers arranged to feed a prearranged supply of cardboard or other suitable material, with locking mechanism to lock the feed-'rollers, a staple-carrier provided with an oscillating retainer to feed one staple at a time, a stapledriver and a staple-straightener to prevent the staple being displaced by its descent from the sliding retainer, in combination with a knife-carrying plunger provided with a slideway for the staple and staple-driver, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. In a machine for attaching tags, a bifurcated lever with trip mechanism to actuate a knife-carryin g plunger and permit a rapid return to its normal position, a staple-driver arranged to slide in a slot or slideway in said knife-carrying plunger, a staple-carrier arranged to feed the staples to the staple-driver, in combination with a pawl arranged to revolve the feed-rollers and feed a prearranged supply of cardboard or other suitable material, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6; In a machine for attaching tags, a bifurcated lever with trip mechanism to actuate a knife-carrying plunger and permit a rapid return to its normal position, a staple-driver arranged to slide in a slot or slideway in said knife-carrying plunger, a staple-carrier provided with an oscillating retainer to feed one staple at a time, and feed-rollers in combination with a pawl arranged to control astaplestraightener and to revolve the feed-rollers and feed a prearranged supply of cardboard or other suitable material to form atag, substantially as and for the purpose described.

7. In a machine for attaching tags, automatically-locked feed-rollers arranged to feed a prearranged supply of cardboard or other suitable material to form a tag, a staple-driver under spring-pressure, knife-carrying plunger provided with a slideway for said stapledriver, in combination with a staple-carrier IIC provided with a latch to retain and feed one staple at a time, and spring-actuated mechanism to hold the staple fed in the stapledriver slideway, substantially as and for the purpose described.

8. In a machine for attaching tags, automatically-locked feed-rollers arranged to feed a prearranged supply of tag-makin g material, a staple-driver and knife-carrying plunger provided with a slot or slideway for said staple-driver, a staple-carrier provided with an oscillating latch arranged to feed a single staple at a time and spring-controlled mechanism for retaining the staple fed in the path of the driver, in combination with a bifurcated lever with trip mechanism to actuate the knifecarrying plunger and permit its rapid return to its normal position, and pawl to revolve the feed-rollers, substantially as and for the purpose described.

9. In a machine for attaching tags, a lever arranged to depress a staple-driver, a knifecarrying plunger'with a slot or slideway therein for the staple-driver, said lever being provided with trip mechanism to depress the knife-carrying plunger and permit a rapid return to its normal position, and pawl pivoted to said lever feed-roller, and staplestraightener,said pawl arranged to revolve the feed-rollers and control the staple-straightener,in combination with a staple-carrier,provided with an oscillating retainer to feed the staples, and means for holding the staples in the path of the plunger, substantially as and for the purpose described.

10. In a machine for attaching tags, feedrollers arranged to feed a prearranged supply of cardboard or other suitable material, sustaining-pins for holding the roll of cardboard, a staple-carrier arranged to feed the staple to a plunger or driver, and spring-controlled mechanism for holding the staple in the path of said driver, in combination with a knife-carrying plunger provided with a slot or slideway for the staple and staple-driver, substantially as and for the purpose described.

11. In a machine for attaching tags, feedrollers, mechanism for automatically locking the feed-rollers, sustaining-pins for holding the roll of cardboard or other suitable material, knife-carrying plunger provided With a slot or slideway for the staple-driver, in combination With a staple-carrier provided with an oscillating retainer-arranged to feed a single staple at a time and spring-controlled mechanism for holding the staples fed in the path of the driver, substantially as and for the purpose described.

12. In a machine for attaching. tags, the combination of feed-rollers, mechanism for automatically locking the feed-rollers, knifecarrying plunger provided with a slot or slideway for the staple-driver, the base of said knife-carrying plunger provided with cylinders or rolls of type arranged to make the desired impression on the tags simultaneously with the cutting and fastening of said tags, a staple-carrier arranged to feed the staples to the driver, with a lever provided with trip mechanism and pawl for actuating the knifecarrying plunger and permit a rapid return to its normal position and to revolve the feedrollers, substantially as and for the purpose described.

IVILLIAM G. METCALF.

Witnesses:

JACOB STEPHANS, J. M. ZELLER. 

